I Photograph Adorable Fat Cats

Hi, I’m Pete Thorne and I am the photographer/author behind the new feline photo series FAT CATS: Large and in Charge. FAT CATS: Large and in Charge is a collection of pleasantly plump portraits alongside heartwarming and funny stories about our chubby feline friends. These cute curvy cats and their owners’ affectionate and candid insights into their personalities will have you seeing your own roly-poly pet in a whole new light. After all, chubby cats are the cutest cats.

Similar to my previous senior dog book Old Faithful: Dogs Of A Certain Age, I realized that larger, chubby cats were somewhat under represented in popular culture in favor of more svelte, slimmer cats. I decided it was time to celebrate them and put them in the spotlight. Having photographed a large number of cats so far and having speaking to their owners one thing became clear: you own a dog, but a cat owns you. They are in charge. The prevalent image of the fat cat today in the media is cynical and not silly: the fat cat is a space for low-grade brutishness and malaise: cats posed with beer bottles, cats stuck in doors, cats seemingly contemplating whether they would like to eat other less-fat cats. In short: unhealthy cats. Meant to be mocked and shamed. This is 2016. The world has matured. We have also made leaps and bounds in awareness and understanding that all body types can be beautiful and all body shapes can be healthy. These grand and portly cats celebrate that sentiment. Sure, they are fat. But they are also kind, complex, distinguished, smart. These cats are beautiful. And yes sometimes silly.

No cats were made fun of in the making of this project.

More info: petethornephoto.com | Instagram | kickstarter.com

“Evie is a mild mannered cat who enjoys chasing shadows and eating the finest pate.”

“Dundan likes to lay on the sidewalk in front of our house. He will not move when people walk by, especially for dogs. We have seen dog owners cross the street to avoid Duncan’s patch of sidewalk.”

“She has a hankering for a pinch of fish flakes at any hour of the day, and is both fascinated and horrified of the front door.”

“Meet Bubba (aka Cuddles) the peak nose Persian who’s short on smiles but not on love!”

“Her size is no obstacle to her level of activity as she can play for hours. She’s a very adept cat at mouse catching.”

“Crookshanks loves lasagna and hates Mondays. He sleeps most of the day, getting up only occasionally to assert his dominance upon those present in the house.”

“Luigi’s a short-haired tabby that I’ve had for over 9 years and he’s been in a bad mood for most of that time.”

“She loves people – all types of people! In fact she loves humans so much that she even acquired the nick name needy BeeDee. Another thing she loves is food. After a nice meal she always comes around for a big snuggle session”

“Salo is a good fat cat, doesn’t scratch or bite, well behaved, playful at times but the best thing Salo loves to do is eat and sleep in the middle of the living room.”